TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video footage showing persecution against a teenager conducted by allegedly a group of Islamic Defender Front (FPI) sympathizers went viral on social media. They were allegedly furious since the teenager insulted FPI leader Rizieq Shihab on his Facebook account.

The video footage shows a male teenager being surrounded by a number of adults. A man told the teenager to warn his friends not to insult Rizieq. The man reminded the teenager that he was lucky for not being beaten to pulp.

The man explained that the FPI has a procedure of taking actions against people who insult ulemas and the FPI. According to the man FPI members will stand down if some people insulted them. However, the man said that FPI sympathizers would not be so forgiving.

The teenager sat quiet and listened to the man. Suddenly, another man hit his head with papers and asked him whether he understood.

FPI spokesperson Slamet Ma’arif confirmed that an FPI member is in the video footage.
“Those are FPI sympathizers. An FPI member was present to prevent them from being vigilantes,” Slamet told Tempo on Thursday, June 1, 2017.

Slamet explained that the FPI has instructed its members not to demand formal apology statements from those who insulted ulemas. However, Slamet said that the FPI would report them to police in order to create deterrent effect.

MAYA AYU PUSPITASARI